Teaux



(No Model.)

F. M. LA BOITEAUX.

BOILER FEEDER AND FEED WATER HEATER. No. 440,109. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

il l lf lllflillllillllllllllll UNITED STATES PATENT FRANK M. LA BOITEAUX, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY VARIVIG, OF SAME PLACE.

BOILER-FEEDER AND FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,109, dated. November 4, 1890.

Application filed November 16, 1839. Serial No 330,534. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK M. LA BOI- TEAUX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Boiler-Feeders. and Feed-Water Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for automatically supplying water to steam-boilers at such times and in such quantity as'required to keep the water in the boiler at the proper level. Its object is also to provide for heating the water before it is introduced by means of the exhaust-steam.

The invention consists in the several combinations and arrangements of the parts, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in connection with which the invention will be first fully described, and then will be particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my apparatus applied for use. Fig. 2 is a detail view, in edge elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of part of the valve-tripping devices. Fig. 3 is a detail view of part of the same in front elevation, upon a smaller scale. Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the valve-case and valve-trip. ping devices in the reverse position to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear view of the tripping-arm.

Ihave shown my improved device arranged to feed water to a horizontal boiler A, and have shown it mounted upon a bracket 15 alongside of the boiler and above the waterline. The water-tank C and the outer cylinder C, which surrounds it, forming a steamtight chamber between the two cylinders, are supported above the bracket B upon legs C \Vithin the chamber formed by the cylinders C C is a coil of pipe D, through which water is supplied to the cylinder or water-vessel C from a hydrant or any suitable source of supply. The water enters the coil through the supply-pipe d, which passes through the jacket C and passes from the coil through the pipe d, the lower branch of which enters the vessel C and is provided with a check-valve d and an ordinary stop-cock d 7 The water is supplied from vessel C to the boiler A through the pipe 0, which is also provided with a check-valve c and stop-cock 0 The vertical discharge end of this pipe a terminat es within the mouth of the inverted coneshaped vessel 0 which is suspended from the top of the boiler-shell.

he waste steam from the engine passes into the steam-space between the cylinders C C through pipe-E, and after passing around the coils, heating them and the cylinder C, is discharged through the escape-pipe E The flow of water to the cylinder C and from said cylinder to the boiler is regulated by the float F and the valves GH and their tripping devices, which are controlled by the float. The float is a light sheet-metal globe with a tubular opening through its center, by which it is guided vertically upon a rod I, which passes through its central opening. To resist external pressure, which would tend to collapse the globe, air is forced into it at a pressure of about fifty pounds to the square inch and the globe sealed to retain this pressure.

The rod I has a limited vertical play, and is provided with adjustable collars i i, be tween which the globe F slides, so that when the float is carried up by the inflow of water into the cylinder C it will strike the upper collar 11, elevate the rod, and actuate the valvetripping mechanism connected to it. The globe in its descent, when the cylinder C is emptied into the boiler, strikes the lower col lar "1: and carries the rod down to operate the valve-tripping mechanism in the reverse direction.

The valve-case J, which is secured upon the top C of the water-vessel by its tubular shank, is provided with the upwardly-opening valves G ll, one at each end. the admission of steam to the vessel C, to induce a flow of water into the boiler, and the other one II controls the discharge of steam and air to the exhaust while the vessel C is being refilled with water. The valve-stems h each carry two valves, and each valve has an independent seat. The backs of .the lower valves are slightly larger than the face of the upper valves, and the backs of the upper valves are still larger, so that the steam-pressure in The valve G controls which is secured upon the rod I.

the case J tends to hold the valves to their seats until the tripping mechanism opens one set and closes the other.

I will now describe the valve-actuatin g mechanism. Projecting upwardly from the rear of the valve-case J is an arm K. Upon a stud-bolt Z, secured in this arm, is pivoted the walkingbeam L, the laterally projecting arms of which are connected to the valve-rods g h by links Z, so that when the walking-beam is rocked in either direction one set of the valves G or H is opened, while the other is by the same movement closed. The walking-beam is rocked upon its bearin g by detents m, which project from opposite sides of the weighted lever-arm M and strike alternately upon opposite sides of an arm Z which projects up from the walking-beam. The lever M is pivoted upon a stud-bolt m, secured in the upper end of upright K. The lever M is, for economy, a cast-metal bar, which carries upon opposite sides the detents m, and is perforated to receive the stud-bolt m and a piece of metal tube, which is screwed into the end of the metal bar and carries the adjustable weight m The weighted lever is thrown from one side to the other by projections nn on the lever-arm N, which leveris also pi voted upon the stud-bolt m, and this lever is actuated by a pitman N, which connects the outer end of the lever N with a collar or clamp 12 being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the angular portion of the arm M bears upon the stud or projection 07. and holds the valves G open and the valves H closed until the float F strikes the collar 7." and, descending, pulls down the rod I until the arm M is elevated to a vertical position and carried overits center, when the weight 102 will bring it down to the position shown in Fig. at and in dotted line, Fig. 3, upon the projection n. The detentm upon the arm M strikes the opposite side of the arm Z of the walking-beam L, closes the valves G, and opens the valves H, leading to the exhaust. The lower end of the rod I slides in the upper end of the blow-0E O, and the upper end slides through the perforated head m of the stud-pin m. To the end of the steam-pipe g is fitted ashort open-ended cylinder 9 which projects above and below the water-line in the boiler, so as to prevent any impurities that may be carried upon top of the water from being carried into the pipe g and thence into the valve-case J. The pipe 9' is provided with the customary shut-off valve 9 To the front of the valve-case J is secured a register R of ordinary construction, which is operated by the rod 0, which is secured to the collar 12 This will indicate the number of times the rod I has descended, and hence when the quantity of water fed to the boiler at each descent of the rod is known the register will indicate the amount of water evaporated during any given period.

In making connection with the boiler I The val vesfind it best to pass the pipe g through the boiler-sl1ell near the rear or some distance back of the grate-bars and the water-supply pipe 0 in front of the bridge-wall or above the point of greatest heat.

The purpose of the cone-shaped vessel 0 is to divide the inflow from pipe 0 into a thin sheet in the steam-space near the top of the boiler, so that it will be heated by the steam to nearly the boiling-point before it reaches the water-level; but the vessel may be dispensed with and the discharge end of pipe 0 carried down below the water-line without varying the operation of the feeder, as the discharge end in either case would be immersed in water and the pressure of steam upon it keep the pipe 0 filled back to the check-valve c, and also keep the check-valve closed until this pressure is overcome by a pressure of steam upon the water in tank 0. Thus all rattling of the check-valve is avoided. As shown in Fig. 1, the lower collar t is so set that nearly the whole contents of tank 0 will be discharged into the boiler; but by adjustingit upwardly upon the rod I any desired amount required may be fed into the boiler and the tank replenished at each operation of the rod I by the float. Now, it will be seen that when the double valves G and H are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the pressure in the upper part of the tank 0 will close the check-valve d and cut off the supply to the tank. The same pressure, aided by the weight of water in the tank, will open the check-valve c, and the water will continue to flow into the boiler until the fioat strikes the collar 1', carries down the rod I, closes valve G, and opens the valve H, leading to the exhaust through pipe h, and releases the pressure in the upper part of the tank, when the water either from the street-main or from an elevated tank will open the check-valve (Z and water will flow into the tank until the rod 1' is elevated by the float and the valves again thrown into the position shown in Fig. 1. The sediment carried into the vessel 0 will settle in the lower portion and may be blown out through the waste pi pe O.

I do not limit myself to the peculiar valves and valve tripping devices for admitting steam to and permitting it to escape from the vessel 0, as they modifications, and there are many well-known forms of valves and valve-trippers that may be substituted for them by a skilled mechanic without the exercise of invention. Hence I would have it understood thatIshall consider such mechanical changes as within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim 1. The combination of the boiler, the watervessel 0, the pipes for conveying water to said vessel and from the same to the boiler, check-valves interposedin both of said pipes, the steam-pipe leading from the water-line in the boiler to the top of the vessel, a pipe to relieve the vessel from pressure, the con- IIO are capable of a great many nected valves to control the admission of steam to and its discharge from the vessel, tripping mechanism such as shown to simultaneously open one of said valves and close the other, a float within said vessel, and the rod actuated by said float and connected to the tripping mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the boiler and watervessel, of the piped for supplying said vessel, the check-valve (1 Within it, the pipe 0, connecting the vessel and boiler, the checkvalve 0' within it, the valve-case J, communicating with the upper part of said vessel, the steam-pipe g, leading from the Water-line valve-case to the pipe h ,connecting the case J and escape, the connected valves G H, controlling, respectively, the supply and waste ports, the float F Within the vessel, the rod 1, operated by said float and connected to the valve-tripping mechanism, whereby the supply-valve is opened and the W aste-valve closed when the rod is moved up by the fl0at,and the said valve closed and the waste-valve opened when the rod is pulled down, for the purpose of alternately supplying the boiler and vessel.

3. The combination of the boiler, the Watervessel, and the water-pipes for supplying the same, with the steam-pipe connecting the boiler and upper part of the water-vessel, valves to control the supply of steam to the vessel and the discharge therefrom, the walking-beam L, having its opposite ends connected to the opposite valves, the weighted lever M, having detents m to rock the beam, the lever N, having projections n n, the pitman N, connected to rod 1, the rod I, and

float F to elevate and depress the rod, and through it the valve-tripping mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, in a boiler-feeder, of the boiler and water supply vessel, the steampipe connecting the upper part of said vessel with the steam-space in the boiler, and valves to admit steam to and pass it from said vessel, the float within the vessel and rod actuated by said float to control said valves, and the tube g connected to and surrounding the end of the steam-pipe and extending into the Water-space, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the'steam-boiler, the water-supply vessel located above it, the feed pipe leading from the Water-supply vessel into the steam-space in the boiler, the checkvalve interposed in said pipe, and theconeshaped vessel 0 surrounding the discharge end of said feed-pipe in the steam-space of the boiler, whereby the Water for supplying the boiler is supplied in a thin sheet directly into the steam-space of the boiler.

(3. The combination, substantially 'as hereinbefore set forth, of the boiler, the Watersupply vessel 0, the cover 0, surrounding it, the coil within the jacket formed by the shells G C, said jacket being interposed in the escape-pipe, the supply-pipe d for the coil, the pipe d, passing through the cover 0 and returned back through it and into the vessel 0, and the check-valve interposed in said pipe outside of the cover 0.

FRANK M. LA BOITEAUX.

Witnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, FRANK. L. MILLWARD. 

